By Nafisatu Olayinka Deen
Freetown, 1st December 2025- In order to celebrate women who are survivors of Female Genital Mutilation and amplify their advocacy efforts against the practice, the Young Women in Governance Network (YWIGN) with support from SEND Sierra Leone and Irish Aid held a Young Women Conference and Festival 2025, a two-day event themed “Voices of Rebirth: Young Women Rising Beyond the Cut” on the 26th and 27th November, 2025 at the Bintumani Business Centre Hall in Aberdeen, Freetown.
The event brought together hundreds of young women, leaders, artists, students, pupils, traditional voices, and advocates in a powerful movement to end harmful practices and celebrate womanhood.
Since 2020, YWIGN has been making a lot of effort to combat female genital mutilation (FGM), child marriage, and gender-based violence (GBV) across Sierra Leone. The network prioritizes transforming pain into purpose, turning silence into strength, and creating a platform where young women can reclaim dignity and redefine leadership.
The conference featured brilliant and engaging Panel discussions on leadership, resilience, and advocacy, artistic performances highlighting women’s creativity and strength, community dialogues with survivors and activists and networking opportunities for young women to build solidarity and partnerships.
In her keynote address, Deputy Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, Kadijatu Grace Kamara, encouraged FGM survivors to rise beyond the ‘cut.’ “Every woman and girl sitting here today has been cut either by trauma, family, societal norms or peer pressure. That scar is evidence of the things you have been through, but you should allow it to define you because you strong, courageous and beautiful in your own way,” she said.
She spoke from her heart and continued by apologizing to all the women and girls present at the event for all the pain they have undergone because of FGM. “If you have been cut, whether physically or mentally, I am sorry”, she said.
In her welcome address, Mariama Jalloh, National Director of Young Women in Governance Network, says that the gathering was more than a conference. “Today we gather here to reflect, to learn, to heal and to rise as a collective force capable of transforming the governance landscape of Sierra Leone. This conference is not just an event but a reawakening of potential, a reaffirmation of courage and an intentional step towards a more just and inclusive society,” she said.
Mariama Jalloh says that the organization recognizes culture when it works hand in glove with dignity. “Young Women in Governance Network was not formed to silence tradition but to guide it towards dignity. FGM is not a heritage to protect but a barrier to tear down. Ending FGM does not dishonour tradition, it honours tradition,” she said.
In another statement, the Country Director of SEND Sierra Leone, Joseph Ayamga, encouraged young women to become advocates for ending FGM. “Change starts with you. Preach this change you want to see,” he said.
During the panel discussions, women shared their FGM experience, and some even cried, recalling experiences many of them described as one of pain and trauma. “It was painful and traumatic; I still get flashbacks of that unfortunate day”, said Nyamakoro Marrah, one of the panellists.
At the end of the conference, the message was clear: the Young Women in Governance Network is shaping a Sierra Leone where womanhood is not cut but celebrated.
